


it never really leaves, does it?

by NebIbonek2000



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26476606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebIbonek2000/pseuds/NebIbonek2000
Summary: Since Amon took her bending, Lin has been having nightmares/visions/flashbacks/panic attacks about the moment. Kya is there for her, but that doesn't stop the pain....
Relationships: Lin Beifong & Kya II, Lin Beifong/Kya II
Kudos: 69





	it never really leaves, does it?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on my Tumblr blog (@linbeifongappreciationacct), and I decided to post it here.  
> I wrote this while experiencing a panic attack myself, so I wasn't really trying to keep them in character. Basically I wrote this as a distraction, so grammar/spelling/story wasn't on my mind.

~*After season 1 of Korra, Lin has her bending back, but is a little traumatized from the experience. Kya and Lin are together in this work*~

It had been a long day a work, as per usual. Chief Beifong had been having conversations with Equalist leaders to work on some struggles non-benders face. Although Amon was a hoax, he still planted ideas into the heads of the citizens of Republic City. Lin wanted the best for her city, for benders and non-benders alike. With the re-writing of some laws, and some changes to the way politics are ran, things should be working out soon. Today was also the day Lin came as Chief if Police (again). Once the short-term replacement chief realized why Lin had “retired”, he gladly stepped down so Lin could resume being Chief.

As Lin went home, she looked forward to seeing Kya and being able to relax a little. Lin had a tough reputation to maintain for her job, but when she was home with Kya she was able to show her soft side.

Lin walks into the apartment and Kya is excited to see her, “Lin! I didn’t expect you to be home so early.”

Lin smiles, technically she was home in time, but she knew what Kya meant; these last few days had been long, and she had been coming home a few hours laters than usual.

“Well, now that I’m Chief again I can leave when I want” Lin replied.

Kya chuckles, “I thought being Chief meant you had extra work, not less”

Lin responds, “It does. But today I decided to put the paperwork down and come home in time.”

“As you should!” Kya answers.

The afternoon/night goes how it usually does. The two talk about their days, they eat dinner, they spend some time on their own (reading, painting, hobbies, etc .), and then they get ready for bed together.

They get into their nighttime clothes and crawl into bed. Lin hugs Kya from behind, cuddling her as they are laying down. Kya enjoy the security she feels in Lin’s arms as she holds onto Lin’s hands.

“I love you” Lin whispers.

“I love you too,” Kya whispers back, as she lets out a yawn, “goodnight”.

“Goodnight,” Lin replies.

After a while Kya falls asleep.

Cautiously, Lin takes back her arms, careful not to disturb Kya.

Lin overs over and starts to drift off to sleep, but as she is falling asleep she sees a series of images in her mind.

-Amon taking away people’s bending-getting closer-her bending is being taken away-see can’t see-pain!

Lin bolts her eyes open and sits up on the bed. Her breathing is intense and she can feel her heart racing. It’s dark and she can’t see, just like in her mind. Lin panics a little more before thinking “It’s okay, you can bend. You’re safe” But the thought only brought a moment of peace as Lin goes back into a a state of panic.

Kya makes a sleeply noise, and Lin realizes she needs to go somewhere else to calm down. She doesn’t want Kya seeing her like this.

Lin leaves the room as quietly and quickly as she can. Her hands are shaking as she opens and closes the door, and she can hear her heart beating fast.

She gets to the kitchen and she turns on a small light. Being able to see helps a bit.

Every time she closes her eyes her mind drifts to that moment. THE moment. Amon standing behind her, his hands on her forehead-

-“NO” Lin says audibly, making a tad bit too loud. But it snapped her out of thinking about stuff.

She needed a distraction.

Lin looks around and heads to the living room. She paces quietly, having too much adrenaline to sit down.

Breathing. Breathing is good

Innnn- outttttt. Innnnn-outttt. Innnn-outtt

As Lin is focusing on her out breath, she made the mistake of doing this excersize with her eyes closed, because she remembered gasping for air when Amon took her bending.

Her heart rates goes back up and Lin shakes more, a shiver running down her body. Her hands run through her hair over and over.

“No no no no no no,” Lin whispers under her breath. If she’s busy she’s not thinking about it.

Lin walks back to the kitchen and her eyes lock onto a cabinet. There are some rocks in that cabinet. Lin manages to take out the rocks with her hands shaking and does some simple molding with her bending. Star. Ball. Star. Cube. Blob. Snake. Spiral. Disk. Square. Tunnel. Ball. Star.

The bending helped calm her down, she wasn’t shaking as much. But Lin could still sense the fear ready to pounce as soon as she was weak again.

Determined not to let herself fall into panic again, Lin decides to workout…..at 1 in the morning.

She does a light same up, before getting on the floor and doing crunches. After that she starts doing push ups.

That’s when Kya walks in and sheepishly, but confused af, asks “What are you doing, Lin? It’s 1am.”

Lin does one more push up before stopping to say “I needed to focus, that’s all.”

Kya questioningly responds “…at 1am? When you should be asleep?”

Lin hesitates before bluntly saying “Yes.”

Kya walks over to Lin, who is now sitting on the ground, and says “What’s wrong?”

Lin stands up but unable to meet Kya’s eyes with her own, responds “I’m fine. I just had some energy, that’s all. I couldn’t sleep”.

Kya puts her hand on Lin’s shoulder and pulls her into a hug. Lin hugs Kya tightly back, not letting go. As they’re hugging, Kya says “It’s better the let it out then hold it all in, Lin.”

Lin exhales, sounding like a great burden was leaving her body, “I know.” It was nice having Kya here, but Lin was glad Kya didn’t see her when she was in the middle of her panic.

Kya leads Lin to the couch and the two lay down, cuddling. Kya is stroking Lin’s hair as she says “Tell me about it. What bothering you?”

Lin is relaxed by her hair being played with. Although the fear still lerks in her mind, she knows it’s not going to bother her while Kya is there, and so she tells Kya. She tells her that she’s been panicking. She’s been through a lot, but Amon taking away her bending was a truly scary moment. She can usually think about it without panicking. But occasionally her emotions will overwhelmed her, which causes the panic.

Kya listens, continuing to play with Lin’s hair. When Lin is done talking Kya asks how she’s feeling now. Lin is better, ready for bed (again). Kya recommends they talk about it more tomorrow, to try and work through it. But for now, let’s sleep.

The two head back to the bedroom to go to sleep. As they crawl into bed Lin feels the fear start to creep up again. But she pushes it down. Right now she just wants to go to sleeps. She lets Kya cuddle her - Lin admits to herself that she feels safe in Kya’s arms.

Soon enough Lin and Kya are asleep, still cuddling each other.


End file.
